A variety of articles are at least partially formed from textiles. As examples, apparel (e.g., shirts, pants, socks, footwear, jackets and other outerwear, briefs and other undergarments, hats and other headwear), containers (e.g., backpacks, bags), and upholstery for furniture (e.g., chairs, couches, car seats) are often formed from various textile elements that are joined through stitching or adhesive bonding. Textiles may also be utilized in bed coverings (e.g., sheets, blankets), table coverings, towels, flags, tents, sails, and parachutes. Textiles utilized for industrial purposes are commonly referred to as technical textiles and may include structures for automotive and aerospace applications, filter materials, medical textiles (e.g. bandages, swabs, implants), geotextiles for reinforcing embankments, agrotextiles for crop protection, and industrial apparel that protects or insulates against heat and radiation. Accordingly, textiles may be incorporated into a variety of articles for both personal and industrial purposes.
Textiles may be defined as any manufacture from fibers, filaments, or yarns having a generally two-dimensional structure (i.e., a length and a width that are substantially greater than a thickness). In general, textiles may be classified as non-woven textiles or mechanically-manipulated textiles. Non-woven textiles are webs or mats of filaments that are bonded, fused, interlocked, or otherwise joined. As an example, a non-woven textile may be formed by randomly depositing a plurality of polymer filaments upon a surface, such as a moving conveyor. Mechanically-manipulated textiles are often formed by weaving or interlooping (e.g., knitting) a yarn or a plurality of yarns, usually through a mechanical process involving looms or knitting machines. Whereas woven textiles include yarns that cross each other at right angles (i.e., warp and weft yarns), knitted textiles include one or more yarns that form a plurality of intermeshed loops arranged in courses and wales.
Although some products are formed from one type of textile, many products are formed from two or more types of textiles in order to impart different properties to different areas. As an example, shoulder and elbow areas of a shirt may be formed from a textile that imparts durability (e.g., abrasion-resistance) and stretch-resistance, whereas other areas may be formed from a textile that imparts breathability, comfort, stretch, and moisture-absorption. As another example, an upper for an article of footwear may have a structure that includes numerous layers formed from various types of textiles and other materials (e.g., polymer foam, leather, synthetic leather), and some of the layers may also have areas formed from different types of textiles to impart different properties. As yet another example, straps of a backpack may be formed from non-stretch textile elements, lower areas of a backpack may be formed from durable and water-resistant textile elements, and a remainder of the backpack may be formed from lightweight and compliant textile elements. Accordingly, many products may incorporate various types of textiles in order to impart different properties to different portions of the products.
In order to impart the different properties to different areas of a product, textile elements formed from the materials must be cut to desired shapes and then joined together, usually with stitching or adhesive bonding. As the number and types of textile elements incorporated into a product increases, the time and expense associated with transporting, stocking, cutting, and joining the textile elements may also increase. Waste material from cutting and stitching processes also accumulates to a greater degree as the number and types of textile elements incorporated into a product increases. Moreover, products with a greater number of textile elements and other materials may be more difficult to recycle than products formed from few elements and materials. By decreasing the number of elements and materials utilized in a product, therefore, waste may be decreased while increasing the manufacturing efficiency and recyclability.